Utensil washing machine with washing equipment placed in the bottom of the receptacle, especially tumble spray apparatus



0c 29, 1963 v. A. GRUNVOGEL 3,108,606

UTENSIL WASHING MACHINE WITH WASHING EQUIPMENT PLACED IN THE RAY APPARATUS BOTTOM OF THE RECEPTACLE, ESPECIALLY TUMBLE SP Filed Sept. 10, 1962 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR.

6 Al r,// 9 0 7 y e 1 m 1 m W a X H A F w 3 a Z V k 7 a 2 2 T nwfi m G H United States Patent UTENSIL WASHING MACHINE WITH WASHING EQUIPMENT PLACED IN THE BOTTOM OF THE RECEPTACL'E, ESPECIALLY TUMBLE SPRAY APPARATUS Vinzenz A. Grunvogel, Wuppertal-Langerfeld, Germany, assiguor to Muller & Co. K.G., Schwelm, Westphalia, Germany, a corporation Filed Sept. 10, 1962, Ser. No. 222,350 4 Claims. (Cl. 134-57) Utensil washing machines are known in various forms. In their basic construction they consist of the receptacle to hold the utensils to be washed, and with the washing equipment placed in the receptacle. The washing equipment, for example, consists of a driven blade system which distributes the washing fluid and throws it on the utensils to be washed, or of an impulse driven tumble spray apparatus with a rotating nozzle body, which nozzle body has nozzle openings from which jets of washing fluid issue producing the driving impulse at the same time. In all known forms a considerable number of outlets are necessary in the bottom of the receptacle, for example on the one hand for the drive shaft of the blade system or for the tumble spray apparatus, for carrying back the washing fluid, for heating, for discharge openings, for emptying the receptacle, and the like. The invention provides a simplification.

The invention provides a utensil washing machine having washing equipment placed in the bottom of the receptacle, for example, tumble spray apparatus. The washing equipment with all accessories and all additional installations, such as pumps, motor if necessary, heating and the like, including discharge openings for the washing fluid for emptying the receptacle, are combined into a unit, and this is inserted in an opening in the lower part of the receptacle. In a preferred embodiment of the invention the lower part of the receptacle consists of an essentially circular chamber in which the actual washing apparatus, for example a blade system or tumble spray apparatus, is mounted concentrically, while a sink well is connected below the chamber, and also the pump is arranged and connected on the suction side with the sink well and on the pressure side with the washing equipment. The heating apparatus is also placed in the circular chamber in the preferred development form, surrounding the washing equipment, the heating apparatus being, for example, placed around the washing apparatus in the form of heating coils. In order to insure that the heating does not operate when there is no water in the machine, the invention prefers that a diaphragm pressure switch be placed in the side of the sink well, which permits or causes the switching on of the heat only when a specified amount of water is in the machine, which water will exert the required pressure on the diaphragm pressure switch.

The details of the construction according to the invention can be in various Ways. Thus, it may be advantageous to provide a removable screen basket in the sink well, while it is also possible to divide the sink well in two parts, an upper part with finer sieve openings provided in the screen basket which is connected with the suction side of the pump and consequently comes into action when the washing liquid is circulated, and a lower part of the sink shaft or chamber in which the screen basket has considerably larger openings and is connected with another pump, through which the washing fluid can be completely removed from the receptacle. The drive motor can be fastened below the circular chamber for the washing equipment which is driven by a mechanical moment of rotation.

The advantages of the invention reside particularly in 3*,l'fl 8,60 fi Patented Oct. 29, 1963 ice the fact that in utensil washing machines according to the invention there is only one outlet or opening required in the bottom of the utensil receptacle, in which the opening of the operating unit as described is set, containing in itself all the operating elements. The construction is not only simplified by this, but at the same time the assembly of the utensil washing machine is facilitated.

The invention is explained in detail as follows, based on drawings showing only one example of the invention.

The drawings comprise:

FIG. 1, which is a vertical axial section through the receptacle of a utensil washing machine according 'to the invention;

FIG. 2, which is a horizontal section taken on line BB through the apparatus shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3, which is a vertical section on line AA through the apparatus shown in FIG. 1; and

FIG. 4 which is similar to the lower portion of FIG. 1 but showing a modification thereof.

The utensil washing machine shown in the drawings consists in its basic construction, omitting the construction of the housing, of the receptacle 1 and the washing equipment placed in the receptacle bottom 2. In the example given, this washing equipment is a tumble spray apparatus, whose details are further described below. The washing equipment with all accessories and all additional installations, which will also be further described below, has been combined into a single unit which has a circular top flange or opening 4 aligning with a circular opening 3 in the receptacle bottom 2. The receptacle opening 3 thus connects to an essentially circular chamber 5. The washing equipment itself is mounted concentrically in the chamber, that is, the tumble spray apparatus, indicated as a whole by the numeral 6, is placed concentrically in the circular chamber 5. The sink well 7 is placed below the chamber 5, as is also the pump 8 by which the washing fluid is circulated. The pump 8 is connected on one side with the sink well 7 and on the other side with the spray apparatus. The pump 8 is driven by a suitable motor means 8a. The heat coils 9 surrounding the washing equipment, are also in the circular chamber 5. A diaphragm pressure switch 10 placed in the sink well is part of this heat apparatus, and insures that the heat is only switched on, or can only be switched on, when a specified amount of liquid is in the receptacle. A removable screen basket 11 is also provided in the sink well 7, having small screen openings 12 in its upper part, and larger screen openings 13 in its lower part. Actually the sink well 7 is divided into two parts, with the fine screen openings 12 of the screen basket 11 in the upper part, while the larger screen openings 13 of the screen basket 11 are in the lower part. The washing liquid is drawn off through the finer openings of the screen basket 11 when it is circulated by the pump 8. If the receptacle 1 is to be emptied of the washing fluid, this is done through the larger openings 13 of the screen basket 11 from the lower part of the sink well 7 through the pump 14 driven by motor 14a, as indicated in FIG. 3, to discharge to drain line 14b.

The following is still to be presented in detail concerning the form of the invention shown in the drawings:

The tumble spray apparatus 6 consists of a nozzle body 15, which has nozzle openings 16 in its surface. A bore 17 is placed axially in the nozzle body 15 for carrying the washing fluid to the nozzle openings 16, and the bore is connected with the openings 16 by a distributing chamber 18. The openings 16 are so arranged that they transmit a moment of rotation to the nozzle body 15 by an impulse effect, so that the nozzle body describes a rotary movement in which it rolls and is supported by the roller ring 19 with its collar 20. The nozzle body is also set on its connecting pipe supports (not shown in detail), and is also kept from lifting up by the collar 20.

The diaphragm pressure switch 10 has in the usual way a diaphragm 22 under pressure from the washing fluid, in front of which there is a screen 23, while the diaphragm 22 regulates a micro-switch 25 by means of a lever arm 24. This whole arrangement is held firmly by the cover 26 which is screwed to the corresponding stays on the side of the sink well.

The screen basket 11 placed in the sink well 7 is held firmly therein by flanged projections 27, so that the sink well 7 is divided into an upper and a lower part by the said flanges 27 as already mentioned for circulation and emptying. The screen basket 11 can be easily removed from the sink well 7 with the aid of the bar 28. As stated, in normal washing operation, the washing fluid is carried in the direction of the arrow 31 by the pump 8, which is usually a centrifugal pump and is connected with the sink well 7 by the flexible sleeve 29 with its exhaust connection 30, and the said fluid is forced into the tumble spray apparatus. The filling of the receptacle can be done through the pipe connection 32. If the receptacle 1 is to be completely emptied, this is done by drawing off the fluid from the lower part and the sink well 7 with the pump 14. In a modification of the invention the arrangement of this pump is shown in FIG. 4 which shows the lower part of a section similar to FIG. 1. The pump Me is fastened directly to the well 7 without a connecting conduit as in FIG. 3. One side of the pump 14c, sealed by a circular cord ring, is securely connected to the well, while the other side supports a flange-connected motor 14d and fan wheel removably mounted thereon by two screws. This makes the motor easily accessible and removable after the front wall of the machine is removed. The pump 14c discharges to drain 14s.

The connection between the receptacle bottom 2 and the unit forming the lower part of the receptacle which the apparatus contained therein which has been described, can be arranged in any desired manner. In the example of the invention given the flanges 33 and 34 are provided with protrusions or projections on the flange 4 and on the opening 3 of the receptacle, and are set upon each other and held together by a clamplike gripping element 35. Packing materials 36 are provided to effect sealing.

I claim:

1. A utensil washing machine including a receptacle having an opening in the bottom thereof, a unit removably mounted in and closing the bottom opening in the receptacle, the unit forming a substantially circular chamber and the chamber being concentrically aligned on the axis of the receptacle, a tumble spray apparatus concentrilly mounted in the chamber, a sink well at one side of the chamber, a pump, the suction side of the pump being connected to the sink-well, the pressure side of the pump being connected to the spray apparatus, the spray apparatus being driven by the mechanical moment of rotation of the liquid being forced therethrough by the pump, a removable screen basket provided in the sink well and being operatively divided into upper and lower parts, the upper part being provided with fine screen openings through which the washing fluid is circulated by the fluid circulating pump, and the lower part with coarser screen openings, and separate pump means for withdrawing the washing fluid from the receptacle and sink well through the coarser screen openings and discharging the fluid into a drain.

2. A machine according to claim 1 wherein heating coils surround the tumble spray apparatus.

3. A machine according to claim 1 wherein heating coils surround the tumble spray apparatus and a diaphragm pressure switch positioned in the sink well allows the heating coils to be turned on only when washing fluid is in the receptacle.

4. A utensil washing machine including a receptacle having an opening in the bottom thereof, a unit casing removably mounted in and closing the bottom opening in the receptacle, said unit casing carrying a tumble spray apparatus extending into the receptacle and the unit casing including a sink well, a removable screen means being provided in the sink well and having upper and lower parts, pump and motor means carried by the unit casing but outside the unit casing for drawing washing fluid through the upper part of the sink well screen means and for discharging it to the tumble spray apparatus to rotate it, and separate pump and motor means carried by the unit casing but outside the unit casing for withdrawing all of the washing fluid from the receptacle and connecting through the lower part of said sink well screen means for discharging the fluid therefrom.

References Cited in the flle of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,667,745 Smellie May 1, 1928 1,931,996 Schimpke Oct. 24, 1933 2,621,666 I-Iiort Af Ornas Dec. 16, 1952 2,808,063 Abresch et al. Oct. 1, 1957 2,825,348 Low Mar. 4, 1958 3,034,518 Butsch et al. May 15, 1962 3,049,132 Gilson Aug. 14, 1962 3,051,182 Gibson Aug. 28, 1962 FOREIGN PATENTS 72,235 France Oct. 26, 1959 

4. A UTENSIL WASHING MACHINE INCLUDING A RECEPTACLE HAVING AN OPENING IN THE BOTTOM THEREOF, A UNIT CASING REMOVABLE MOUNTED IN AND CLOSING THE BOTTOM OPENING IN THE RECEPTACLE, SAID UNIT CASING CARRYING A TUMBLE SPRAY APPARATUS EXTENDING INTO THE RECEPTACLE AND THE UNIT CASING INCLUDING A SINK WELL, A REMOVABLE SCREEN MEANS BEING PROVIDED IN THE SINK WELL AND HAVING UPPER AND LOWER PARTS, PUMP AND MOTOR MEANS CARRIED BY THE UNIT CASING BUT OUTSIDE THE UNIT CASING FOR DRAWING WASHING FLUID THROUGH THE UPPER PART OF THE SINK WELL SCREEN MEANS AND FOR DISCHARGING IT TO THE TUMBLE SPRAY APPARATUS TO ROTATE IT, AND SEPARATE PUMP AND MOTOR MEANS CARRIED BY THE UNIT CASING BUT OUTSIDE THE UNIT CASING FOR WITHDRAWING ALL OF THE WASHING FLUID FROM THE RECEPTACLE AND CONNECTING THROUGH THE LOWER PART OF SAID SINK WELL SCREEN MEANS FOR DISCHARGING THE FLUID THEREFROM. 